Keyboard



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IN VEN TOR.

@A TTORNEYS .narran stares CHANDLER WOLCOTT, F ROCHESTER, NEW YRK. v

KEYBOARD.

Specification of Letters-Patent. I

Application led January 24,1919. Serial No. 272,923.

To all fwhom t may concern: l Be 1t known that I, CHANDLER WoLco'rT,

va citizen of the United States, and resident of Rochester, inthe'county of Monroe and lState of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements -in Key- "boards, of which the following is aspeciication.

The present invention relates to keyboards, and moreparticularly to thekind employed in typewriting machines and the like, an object of theinvention'being to provide such an arrangement of the characters,

or keysy that the work of operating nearly all of the keys may beeffected without any lateral shifting of the hands, thus conserving theenergy of the operator.

To this and otherends, the invention consists of certain arrangementsof-parts which will be hereinafter described, the novel features beingpointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figures l and 2 show in plan two key arrangements embodying the presentinvention, Fig. 1 illustrating a seventy-six character keyboard and Flg.2 illustrating an 'eighty-four character keyboard, but it will beunderstood that the inventonis not limited to the specific arrangementshere illustrated.

The invention comprises in its broadest aspects three features: one, thedivision of the most frequently used characters into two groupsseparated by a group of lessfre- 'quently used characters: two, thearrangement of the least frequently used characters i in a group at thecenter Aof the keyboard:

and three, the arrangement of the letter -keys so that those on eachside of a median line through the keyboard represent approximately onehalf of the total letter characters used.-

In the illustrated forms the numeral characters andthe sign characterslare arranged, as inthe'usual keyboards, in a single line along thejsopof the keyboard. In Fig. 2 two keys having sign characters are arranged'at one lside ofthe letten characters as inthe usua" keyboard offorty-two keysnow in use. By actual geprints characters '3, Q, Z,T X.will approximate .5l/100 percent. of v the letters ordinarily usedfandcan, therefore, `be arranged mfa group as 'the f least frequentlyused characters. Thisfgreup is' nla'ced'at'the centerrof .I haveascertained. that thel Patented J une l, 1920.

the keyboard' within the dotted .parallelo- A gram indicated atdrawings.

The most frequently used characters are arranged 1n two groups, onegroup on each lin both figures of the' side of the group of leastfrequently used characters. ln the drawings these groups are confinedwithin the dotted parallelograms indicated at 2. By actual count it hasbeen found that the characters Y, N, I,

un, T, F, 0,1., s, R, M, E, o; D, and H.

shown in the dotted parallelograms indicated at 3 representapproximately 8.83 per cent.

that the four groups indicated at 2 and 3 representapproximately 99.49per cent. of the total letters used.

In order to make an approximatel even left hand,V it is preferred toarrange the of the total characters ordinarilyused, so

-division of the labor between the rig t and characters in the differentgrouprin the manner Vshown in the drawings. ith this arrangement thosewhich will be operated by the left hand represent approximately 49.48per cent; of the total keys operated, while those to be operated by theright hand represent approximately -50.52 per cent. of the total'keysoperated. The keys in the most.

frequently used groups are so arranged that most of the worknor `laboris performed by t the first and second fingers which are naturallystronger and better adapted for such work than are the other twofingers, thus in-I suring maximum ease, accuracy and speed by theoperator.

From the foregoing it fwill :be seen that practically allof the writingwill be accomplished upon the eight lines of keys shown at 2 and 3vwhere the-characters -or keys will be in position to be touched orstruck by facilitate the learning of the touchsysin the fourdottedparallelograms indicated This arrangement t tem, as now generally taughtin schools, this being due to the fact that lateral movement of thehands is required only' to operate the least frequently used keys. rThisgives an opportunity for the little fingers, upon each return of thehand to normal position by resting on or over the keys situated at theouter side of the keyboard, to adjust or re-locate with ease andcertainty the four lingers of the hands'to positions originally occupiedby them.

That I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. A keyboard having a group of the least frequently used letter keys atthe center thereof, and letter keys of greater frequency of use arrangedin two groups on opposite sides of the center group, there being inneither of the last two groups letter keys of less frequency of use thanthose in the center group.

2. A keyboard having live groups of letter keys; namely, a center group,two outside groups and two intermediate groups between the outsidegroups and the center group, the first 'or' center group including onlythose keys whose frequency of use is less than any keys in the otherfour groups, the outside groups including only those keys whosefrequency of use is more than the keys of the center group and less thanthe keys of lthe intermediate groups, and the intermediate groupsincluding only those keys whose frequency of use is more than the keysof the outside groups.

3. A keyboard having its keys so arranged that a median line through thekeyboard from the rear series of letter characters to the front seriesof letter characters will divide the keys into two groups in which thetotal frequency of use of the keys on one side of the line willsubstantially equal the total frequency of use of the keys on the otherside of the line so that the work on both hands will be substantiallyequal.

4. A keyboard having its keys so arranged that a median line through thekeyboard from the rear series of letter characters to theffront seriesofletter characters will divide the keys into two groups in which thetotal frequency of use of the keys on one side of the line willysubstantially equal the total frequency of use of the keys on the otherside of the line so that the work on both hands will be substantiallyequal, the keys also being so arranged that those ad- 'jacent the medianline have the least frequency of use, those at the sides of the keyboarda greater frequency of use, and those between the outside groups and thecenter group a still greater frequency of use so that each hand utilizesits strongest lingers for operating on the keys ofthe greatest frequencyand its weaker lingers for operating on the keys ofthe next greatestfrequency, and the hands are required to be shifted toward the centeronly to operate on the keys of the least frequency.

5. A keyboard in which the characters, Y, N, I, S, R, M, U, A, T, E, 0,D, F, C, L and H are arranged in two groups separated by a group of keysless frequently used than any of the mentioned characters in such twogroups.

6. A keyboard in which the characters Z,

Q, are arranged in a group at the center of the keyboard.

7. A keyboard in which the characters Z, X, J, Q, are grouped at thecenter of the keyboard and the characters Y N, I, S, R, M, U, A, T, E,O, D, F, C, L, li are arranged in two groups, one on each side of thefirst named group of characters.

8. A keyboard in which the characters Y,

-N, 1, s, R, M, U, A, T, E, o7 D, F, o, L, H

are arranged in two separated groups; the characters Z, X, J, Q arearranged in a group between the adjacent two separated groups; and thecharacters G, B, K, P, NV, V are arranged in two groups separated by thebefore mentioned three grou s.

CHANDLER W LCOTT.

sok

